Devices for storing tools and the like



- 17, 1967 c. wlLc E 3,298,531

DEVICES FOR STORING TOOLS AND THE LIKE Filed April 11, 1966 I INVENTOR.

7o 35 42 CARL WILCKE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,298,531 DEVICES FOR STORING TOOLS AND THE LIKE Carl Wilcke, 200 W. Thruston Blvd, Dayton, Ohio 45419 Filed Apr. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 541,818 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-60) This invention relates to a device for storing tools and other articles usually having handles, and more particularly, to an improved holder which is formed from sheet material in such a manner to provide maximum strength and rigidity at minimum cost.

The present invention is primarily directed to an elongated holder which is adapted to be mounted on a wall or other upright surface for storing a plurality of articles so that each article is conveniently accessible for removal and replacement without disturbing adjacent articles. For example, the holder is ideally suited for storing garden tools such as shovels, rakes, hoes, and brooms or shop tools such as hammer and pipe wrenches or a combination of such tools.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved elongated holder adapted to be mounted on an upright surface for storing a plurality of articles, and which is adapted to be economically formed from sheet material in such a manner to provide high strength and rigidity for supporting articles having substantial weight.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an elongated box-like holder which is adapted to be formed from a single sheet of material for minimizing the cost of construction; to provide means for neatly positioning a group of articles in spaced relationship so that each article may be conveniently removed and replaced without disturbing other articles; and to provide a holder which is reinforced in areas where it receives concentrated stress when in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

In the drawing;

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a holder and a retaining member constructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating a typical use therefor;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section view of the holder and retaining member shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the holder shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a vertical section of another modified form of a holder constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of the invention, an elongated holder constructed in accordance with the invention is shown in FIG. 1 mounted on the upright surface 12 of a wall extending from a floor 13 for storing a group or plurality of articles as illustrated by the brooms 14 and 15, hammers 16-19 and yard tools 20 and 21. Some of the articles have elongated handles 23 and other articles have somewhat shorter handles 24 depending on the particular article.

As shown in FIG. 2, the holder 10 is formed from a sheet of rigid material preferably light gauge sheet metal and defines an elongated uppe panel 25 and a lower panel 26 having correspondin forward edge portions which are integrally connected along their length by a front panel 28. This front panel 28 forms corresponding 1y right angles with the upper panel 25 and lower panel 26 so that the upper and lower panels extend in parallel spaced relationship.

A longitudinally extending upper flange 30 (FIG. 2) is formed upwardly from and perpendicular to the upper 3,298,531 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 panel 25 and a corresponding flange 32 is formed downwardly from the lower panel 26. Preferably the sheet of material is folded or hemmed back upon itself along the lower edge of the flange'32 to extend upwardly forming a rear panel 35 which has an upper longitudinal portion 36 formed around the flange 30 extending upwardly from the panel 25. Thus the rear panel 35, upper panel 25, front panel 28 .and lower panel 26 are integrally formed from a single sheet of material to provide a rigid box-like structure having a rectangular cross-sectional configuration. In addition, the back panel 35 reinforces the flanges 30 and 32 by providing a double metal thickness along the lower flange 32 and a triple metal thickness along the upper flange 30.

A series of holes (not shown) are formed within the upper flange 30 and lower flange 32 and the corresponding reinforcing portions of the rear panel 35 and are adapted to receive a corresponding series of screws 40 for attaching the holder to the wall surface 12 so that the upper panel 25 projects from the wall surface in a horizontal plane and the rear panel 35 lies adjacent the wall surfaces. Thus the upper portion 36 of the rear panel 35 reinforces the flange 30 and prevents the screws 40 from pulling through the flange 30 when a load is applied to the upper panel 25.

A plurality of longitudinally spaced circular openings 42 are formed in the upper panel 25 and each opening is provided with a downwardly rolled circumferential lip 44. A corresponding plurality of openings 45 are formed in the lower panel 26 and each opening is provided with an upwardly rolled circumferential lip 47. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the openings 45 is aligned with a corresponding opening 42 and preferably each opening 45 is positioned somewhat closer to the rear panel 35 so that an axis defined by a pair of aligned openings extends in a vertical plane at a slight diverging angle in relation to the vertical wall surface 12.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an elongated retaining member is positioned on the floor surface 13 adjacent the wall surface 12 and directly below the holder 10.

Preferably, the retaining member 55 is formed from sheet 6 material such as light gauge sheet metal and includes an upper panel 58 connecting a pair of longitudinally extending downwardly formed flanges 60. A plurality of semi-spherical pockets are formed downwardly within the upper panel 58 and are arranged in longitudinally spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relationship of the aligned openings 42 and 45 in the holder 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the pockets 65 within the retaining member 55 are provided-to receive the corresponding end portions of the elongated handles so that each handle is neatly positioned and arranged generally within a vertical plane and in a slightly diverging relationship with the wall surface 12. As a result, those articles having elongated handles can be conveniently and readily withdrawn and inserted within the holder 10 without interference by the wall surface or ceiling.

In accordance with a modified form of the invention, a holder shown in FIG. 3 is constructed substantially the same as the holder 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 accordingly, identical reference numbers are used to indicate corresponding structure. The distinguishing structure, however, is that the openings 42 formed in the upper panel 25 and the corresponding aligned openings 45 formed in the lower panel 26 are arranged in a staggered spaced relationship with alternate openings 42 and 45 spaced closer to the rear panel 35 and in vertical alignment. This form of the holder provides for storing a greater number of articles in closer spaced relationship and is especially suitable when some of the articles to be stored are relatively small.

Another modification of the invention is shown in FIG. 4 wherein a holder 75 includes an upper panel having the upwardly formed flange 3t? and a series of openings 42 the same as the holder shown in FIG. 2. However, in this modification, a lower panel 78 is integrally connected with the upper panel 25 along their corresponding forward longitudinal edge portions and slopes downwardly and rearwardly tothe lower longitudinally extending flange 32.

A corresponding series of somewhat elliptical shaped openings 8t are formed within the lower panel '78 in alignment with the openings 42 in the upper panel 25 to provide a guide for the elongated handles 24 of the articles. It is to be understood, however, that the openings 80 may also be circular the same as the openings 42. The aligned openings 42 and 80 also include corresponding rolled lips 44 and 82 to prevent the panels 75 and 78 from scratcing or marring the handles 23 and 24.

The longitudinally extending flange 32 extends downwardly from the lower panel 78 and the fiat rear panel 35 connects the flange 32 with the flange in the same manner as that shown in FIG. 2. Thus it can be seen that the lower panel 78 serves as a brace for the upper panel 25 and cooperates with the rear panel to provide a rigid box-like structure having generally a triangular shaped cross-sectional configuration. For attaching the holder 75 to the wall surface 12, the flanges 30 and 32 and the corresponding reinforcing portions of the rear panel 35 are provided with a series of holes for receiving the screws which are threaded into the wall 12.

It has been found that a holder constructed in accordance with the invention provides several desirable features and advantages. Basically, the holder of each embodiment is formed from sheet material in such a manner to not only provide substantial strength and rigidity but also provide for a low construction cost. That is, by forming the upper and lower panels from a single sheet of material so that the panels are integrally connected and by forming the longitudinally extending flanges 30 and 32 from the corresponding upper and lower panels, all of the longitudinally folded corners or edges of the sheet material cooperate to provide a rigid structure capable of supporting substantial weight on the upper panel 25. In addition, the rear panel 35 cooperates wit-h the upper and lower panels to provide a rigid box-like structure in addition to reinforcing the mounting flanges 30 and 32. Furthermore by forming the entire holder from a single sheet of material, the construction cost is minimized since it is unnecessary to handle separate panels.

Another feature is provided by the rearwardly offset relation of the openings within the lower panel relative to the openings within the upper panel. That is, this offset relationship enables an article having an elongated handle to be conveniently inserted and removel from the aligned openings. In addition, while the modified form of the holder shown in FIG. 4 reduces the cooperation of the upper and lower panels to provide vertical alignment of a handle 23, this holder does minimize the amount of sheet material required to form a holder in accordance with the invention and also provides for substantial strength. An additional feature is provided by the retaining members 55 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and which is adapted to receive the lower end portions of the elongated handles 23 and thereby provide additional stability for neatly supporting the handle in parallel spaced relationship which, turn, prevents the articles from tilting laterally, v

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

1. An improved holder adapted to be mounted on an upright surface for conveniently storing tools and other articles having handles, and further adapted to provide maximum strength and rigidity at minimum cost, said holder comprising a sheet of rigid material formed to define upper and lower elongated panels disposed in vertically spaced relationship and connected integrally along the forward longitudinal portions thereof, means defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced aligned openings in said upper and lower panels for receiving and positioning the handles of the articles, an upper longitudinal flange extending upwardly from the rear portion of said upper panel and formed integrally therewith, means on said upper flange for attaching said flange to the surface for positioning said upper panel substantially horizontally, a lower longitudinal flange extending downwardly from the rear portion of said lower panel and formed integrally therewith, a rear panel adapted to lie generally parallel to the surface, means connecting said rear panel to said upper flange in overlapping relationship along the length thereof to reinforce and add rigidity to said upper flange, and means for connecting said rear panel to said lower flange along the length thereof to provide a rigid box-like configuration for supporting articles having substantial weight on said upper panel.

2. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper, rear and lower panels and said upper and lower flanges are formed from a single sheet of material so that all of said panels and said flanges are integrally connected to provide a holder of economical construction.

3. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower panel extends downwardly and rearwardly from the forward longitudinal portion of said upper panel so that said lower panel to the lower portion of said rear panel provides a brace for said upper panel to provide a rigid boxlike holder having generally a triangular shaped cross sectional configuration and capable of supporting articles having substantial weight.

4. A holder as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for connecting said rear panel to said upper flange in overlapping relationship along the length thereof include an upper longitudinal edge portion of said rear panel folded over said upper flange to provide said upper flange with substantial rigidity while enabling said holder to be formed from a sheet of minimum thickness.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,144,229 6/1915 Mueller 211-- 1,321,145 11/1919 Price 22160 2,452,410 10/1948 Wiegel 21187 2,482,372 9/1949 Rossow 211 60 X 2,587,226 2/1952 Rodman 211 2,805,777 9/1957 Larson 211 60 2,815,863 10/1957 Larson 211 60 2,835,503 5/1958 Humphries 211 60 X 2,854,147 9/1958 Derr 211 60 2,974,804 3/1961 Maro 211 60 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,298,531 January 17, 1967 Carl Wilcke It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 60, after"2" insert and column 3, line 18, for "scratcing" read scratching line 54, for "removel" read removed column 4,'after line 6, insert What is claimed is: lines 39 to 41, strike out "longitudinal portion of said upper panel so that said lower panel to the lower portion of said rear panel provides a brace" and insert instead longitudinal portion of said upper panel to the lower portion of said rear panel so that said lower panel provides a brace Signed and sealed this 14th day of November 1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. AN IMPROVED HOLDER ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON AN UPRIGHT SURFACE FOR CONVENIENTLY STORING TOOLS AND OTHER ARTICLES HAVING HANDLES, AND FURTHER ADAPTED TO PROVIDE MAXIMUM STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY AT MINIMUM COST, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING A SHEET OF RIGID MATERIAL FORMED TO DEFINE UPPER AND LOWER ELONGATED PANELS DISPOSED IN VERTICALLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND CONNECTED INTEGRALLY ALONG THE FORWARD LONGITUDINAL PORTIONS THEREOF, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID UPPER AND LOWER PANELS FOR RECEIVING AND POSITIONING THE HANDLES OF THE ARTICLES, AN UPPER LONGITUDINAL FLANGE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE REAR PORTION OF SAID UPPER PANEL AND FORMED INTEGRALLY THEREWITH, MEANS ON SAID UPPER FLANGE FOR ATTACHING SAID FLANGE TO THE SURFACE FOR POSITIONING SAID UPPER PANEL SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY, A LOWER LONGITUDINAL FLANGE EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE REAR PORTION OF SAID LOWER PANEL AND FORMED INTEGRALLY THEREWITH, A REAR PANEL ADAPTED TO LIE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE SURFACE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID REAR PANEL TO SAID UPPER FLANGE IN OVERLAPPING RELATIONSHIP ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF TO REINFORCE AND ADD RIGIDITY TO SAID UPPER FLANGE, AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING SAID REAR PANEL TO SAID LOWER FLANGE ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF TO PROVIDE A RIGID BOX-LIKE CONFIGURATION FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES HAVING SUBSTANTIAL WEIGHT ON SAID UPPER PANEL. 